[Mudshark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomana /img/forum/go_quote.gif You'd been surprised on how much source does matter with these headphones. That was made pretty clear at CanJam. It's one reason they're a keeper for me.

After following this thread for awhile, I broke down and ordered the HD800's from Headroom last night, but I am not at all surprised to read that the source makes a big difference with these cans. It's the old "garbage in, garbage out" principle. If you have a lousy source, a great can or amp/can combination will only serve to show how bad the source is. With a can as revealing and resolving as the HD800, the source better be up to snuff or the HD800 will shine an unflattering high-beam light on it.

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pabbi1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can hardly wait until things are burned in - oh, and the amp I built for these phones (a transformer coupled tube amp) is almost ready to roll. The new he60 amp may be ready this weekend, so everything will be ready for the Texas Shootout on June 27th.

This is one of the reviews I've been waiting for... your selections of music were excellent for me as I know each of those songs well. It sounds like they are really keepers!

I hope to see you on June 27 so I can experience your completed rig for myself. I'll let you plug the phones in though.

 

[Bones13]

First impressions :

Source iMac/iTunes - optical - HR Ultra Micro Dac
AMP - Raptor (Mullard 12AU7 + 2x Tung Sol 5687 *all tumes are older than my own 50 years)

Un-burned-in HD800 with stock cables (in the first hour at least)

Compared with my burned in HD650 and W5000 on same rig.

Soundstage is superb. What the W5000 tries for, but does not quite achieve.

Sound Signature is close to the HD650, but much clearer in the mid/upper ranges. Base is much tighter, and palpable.

They are very comfortable to me, and stable on my head. I not too infrequently lean back for a nap with headphones on, the W5000s will fall off. Less clamping force than the HD650s.

One of the biggest things I am thinking is the huge soundstage, which seems to be bigger than just the inside of my head. This is the first headphone to do this. My UE-10pros have similar authority in the control department, but that sweet sound is all inside. The sound field is much broader and smoother.

Clearly a new favorite for me. HF2's will be here later this month, I will be comparing the two, and probably choosing different music/moods for the 2.

 

[nnotis]

Ok, so it sounds like they’re capable of impressive bass quantity and impact if paired with the right stuff. But how low do they go before rolling off? Some people claim to get a whole lot of bass out of the K1000s when paired with the right speaker amp. But no amp can ever get them to portray the full spectrum of sub bass. Hopefully, the HD800s aren’t limited in that regard. Has anyone tried a tone sweep with them?

 

[vai-777]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any other HD800 owners hearing this weird spring creak? Other owners on the another forums stated that I should ask for an exchange... + YouTube Video​ ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

mine does it on the left side....it's the spring mechanism that alows the enclosure around the driver to return to "set" position.....not a big deal because it doesn't make noise if it doesn't move, so on your head the phones are stable...at least they should be.

 

[vai-777]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I grin at the irony in that statement... Wanted to ask the HD800 owners how it fares on sound leakage. Does it leak more than the HD650 or about the same (i.e. at same volume level)?

I've heard the rest of the so-called "headphones" out there, trust me there is nothing ironic about the staement at all. In my opinion they blow everything out of the water and it's not even close.....not even a little.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vai-777 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've heard the rest of the so-called "headphones" out there, trust me there is nothing ironic about the staement at all. In my opinion they blow everything out of the water and it's not even close.....not even a little.

When you reach the level of other ultra hi end headphones, 'blow away' seems a bit exagerated. Blow away the Q10/R10/K1000? It seems the differences would be subtle to noticeable compared to certain sonic attributes.

 

[Schrute]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beagle /img/forum/go_quote.gif I grin at the irony in that statement... Wanted to ask the HD800 owners how it fares on sound leakage. Does it leak more than the HD650 or about the same (i.e. at same volume level)?

I don't own the 650 but the 800 is completely open. I can hear all of the music sitting a few feet away from someone wearing them.

 

[achristilaw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nnotis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, so it sounds like they’re capable of impressive bass quantity and impact if paired with the right stuff. But how low do they go before rolling off? Some people claim to get a whole lot of bass out of the K1000s when paired with the right speaker amp. But no amp can ever get them to portray the full spectrum of sub bass. Hopefully, the HD800s aren’t limited in that regard. Has anyone tried a tone sweep with them?

Do you have any, well recorded, Organ Music? Fantastic capability! The published Low Frequency information is in the infrasonic, and I believe it.
The phones can actually move about on your head!

People have claimed low or no Bass impact...two issues....1st. Burn in. 2nd. Incompatible equipment.

Most Bass ranges exhibited by headphones are emphasized and artificial. The HD800 doesn't suffer from these low frequency colorations, and I have heard from experienced ears that the highs are strident. No, the Amp is clipping (thrown into fit's actually), and the non-linearities show in high frequency's first, and are compressed and strident as a result. Screech City!!!

 

[Schrute]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelvinz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any other HD800 owners hearing this weird spring creak? Other owners on the another forums stated that I should ask for an exchange... + YouTube Video​ ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Mine doesn't do this.

 

[Schrute]

Damn the soundstage is out of this world...

 

[TheDeliveryMan]

There are some moving parts on the hand-built HD 800, so yes, expect a little bit of noise as a result of moving them, but moving the parts aggressively will certainly increase the amplitude of those noises. If there are any questions about components or quality, be certain to get in touch with me by email so that I can have it documented. We welcome customer feedback and input so please share it with us!

Eric Palonen
epalonen@sennheiserusa.com
Sennheiser USA

 

[patton713MW]

This may sound like a strange request, considering that we are discussing high end headphones with high end gear, but has anyone tried driving their HD800 with a Millett MAX or MiniMAX? I ask out of pure curiosity. I am still relatively new to high end headphones, and I have always been curious what the difference would be between a nice DIY amp like the MiniMAX, and a several thousand dollar commercial amplifier. If any of you HD800 owners happen to have a Millett of one form or the other, I'd be curious to know what this little amp can do with a high end can.

 

[Schrute]

Does anybody else think the clamping force of the 800s is a little much? I may be used to the D7000s, which completely but gently conform to your head, but there is definitely less padding on these than the 800s and I find it's bothering me.

Maybe it'll loosen up.

 

[PeeeMeS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vai-777 /img/forum/go_quote.gif mine does it on the left side....it's the spring mechanism that alows the enclosure around the driver to return to "set" position.....not a big deal because it doesn't make noise if it doesn't move, so on your head the phones are stable...at least they should be.

Not acceptable on 1400$ headphones IMHO


Either everyone's HD800s has the squeak on the same consistent side(s) or no one's should